Promise
by punk-death-dealer
Summary: Greg makes a promise to Sara, when something horrible happens it is her turn to keep the promise. The promise to never leave.


**PROMISE**

**A/N:** This was orignally a songfic, it is short, sweet, and simple. If you want the song with the story. Go over to my live journal. The song used there is Promise, by the band Matchbook Romance.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, if I did, do you really think I would be sitting here writing this?

**Discription:** Greg makes a promise to Sara, when something horrible happens, it is her turn to keep the promise. The promise to never leave.

* * *

It had been as simple as a shadow. He had turned his head. A large fist caught him in the jaw. The bones cracking and crashing against his teeth, the taste of blood filling his mouth instantly. Stunned he felt a hand on his back and then a knee in his stomach. He collapsed to his knees out of breath. A good hit to the side of the head made him lose balance completely and he fell against the ground the warm ground feeling good against his cold skin. The onslaught of punches continued fists hitting him left and right as he lay on the ground unable to fight back. Weakly trying to kick the attacker away. His whole body shuddered in pain.

He was alone, lying on the ground. Clenching his teeth he crawled over to the wall and tried to pull himself up. It was then he felt it. The sharp metal grazing the side of his face. Right above his eye and the blood trailing down his face and into his eye as he tried to blink it away. The evil chuckle came from the darkness. His lips were swollen and bleeding, his nose a bloody mess, and his eyes were swollen and blurry. He was leaning against the wall when he felt it. The rush of wind that came towards him. Then the sharp and burning sensation of the blade being buried deep within his stomach. It was pulled out clean.

With a hand on his abdomen he tried to put pressure on it the best he could to stop the bleeding. The click, the searing pain, and the loud boom of a bullet being released filled his ears as the hot metal hit him square in the chest and he gasped in pain. Falling to the ground and fighting to breath. He heard the footsteps leaving the scene. He held out his hand as his face was pressed against the warm ground. His body aching and unable to move. A puddle of blood beginning to form around him. He didn't want to die here.

* * *

It had been on the news, in the papers, and all on everyone's minds. The silence that had engulfed the Las Vegas Crime Lab a week ago was still lingering. All of them with the same thing on their minds, the thought that he might not make it. With their heads down and their pace quick they worked quickly to solve this case. They needed the answer desperately to bring them some peace, and him as well. They needed to find the person responsible for shooting Greg Sanders.

An ominous shadow had taken residence in the halls of the Crime Lab. It had also taken residence in everyone one of their heads. The taunting criminal sending them warnings while one of their own was injured and possible clinging to life by his fingernails. Everyday since the shooting, concentration had come harder. Between not knowing if he would pull through or if they would ever be able to catch the shooter, their moral wasn't very high.

Catherine Willows walked briskly down the corridor passing co-workers that all looked the same and blurred together to her. She was walking with a purpose before she spotted a certain female CSI in the break room. Her hands covering her face and her posture slouched. Her dark hair was hanging down on either side of her face, hiding her emotions completely. She stood in the doorway a sad look overcoming her.

As she felt a hand on her shoulder she turned and noticed Warrick standing there a sympathetic looking being passed from him to her, and eventually to the distressed Sara sitting on the couch, unaware of their presence. They all felt bad about the situation but it seemed she was taking it just a bit harder than most. She hadn't spoken much since the incident and through herself into work, trying to solve the case. When they were able to make her leave she often visited the hospital, sometimes not even making it home. They were all worried, some for different reasons.

Silently Warrick squeezed her shoulder and backed away. Catherine lingered in the doorway a moment longer watching as her co-worker buried herself in guilt. She gave a sigh before backing away as well; they would never get anywhere if they just felt sorry all the time.

As Catherine's footsteps faded around the corner Sara looked up her eyes bloodshot and swollen. Her cheeks red and trails of water running down her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to compose herself. Her body was shaking and she wrapped her arms around her to try and stop the shaking. Her fears had been confirmed the day he was shot. She was scared of losing him. He had become one of the closest friends she had ever had, and then in an instant he was ripped from her grasp.

It all felt like it was her fault. She was had taught him and she failed. He was stabbed and beaten while processing a scene, in a back alley of darkest streets of Las Vegas. Then shot in the chest. It was the gunshot that had alerted the cop that was standing guard. By the time Greg had reached the hospital the doctors wasn't sure if he would pull through, not after loosing so much blood. He had been fighting for his life for five days now, never gaining the upper hand, but never loosing either.

She closed her eyes and grimaced at the site of the cold examination table that she hoped Greg would never have to lie upon. The casket she hoped that would never have to be chosen. The funeral she hopped she would never have to attend. The funeral of a friend. Sara had been holding everything back, working to compensate for the absence of Greg. Working to find the man who beat, stabbed, and shot him. This evil and vile man that had been taunting them everyday sending them messages and newspaper clippings and articles of the news.

It was all almost too much for her. She promised however, that she wouldn't let it get to her, that she would continue and she would catch him, and she would make sure he would never be a free man ever again, that he would never be able to hurt anyone like this ever again.

Her body ached from the lack of energy. Her mind was beginning to form a blank, she only hoped that the other's had made more progress. No one talked about it, more comfortable to just leave it in silence and let it alone. She so fondly wished for his sparkling eyes to look at her, to challenge her. Wanted to see his smile and hear his cheerful laugh. She missed him so much. Missed his crazy antics and his pointless jokes.

He had made a promise to her one night when he discovered her crying. He promised to never leave her and always be there for her, to help her through it. Now however, it looked as if it was her turn to keep a promise to him. She couldn't just leave him.

The fact that he might not make had crossed her times more times than it should have this week. Each time feeling her with a new wave of sadness and despair. One that she tried to push back down with everything she had. The one that rises up from time to time. This was why she was here now holding herself. Trying to find some kind of comfort in the cold corridors.

Glancing at the clock she stood up and wiped her eyes. Quickly moving towards the locker room she grabbed her coat and purse before closing the locker and only nodding in response to Nick's greeting. Her eyes glazed as she walked out of the building and to her car. The sound of the cars passing by and people chattering feeling her ears, different from inside the Lab, warmer and louder. Not cold and silent.

The motions were instinct as she drove to the hospital. After days of practice, her mind needs not to be present to get her there. She could drive to the hospital asleep. She remembered every detail in the road, every sign, every person standing on the sidewalks night after night. It was all she could do to keep her mind off the inevitable, off of Greg.

She sat in the parking lot; minutes went by as she tried to gather enough courage to face him once again. She didn't want to break down; she wanted to be positive about the whole situation. Nothing had ever been harder in her life. The hospital was silent and dull. Her feet were leading her to his room. She saw the doorway nearing closer and the jaw was clenched as she rounded the corner and entered the room. He lay there, bandaged and bruised. His eyes closed, and his body lifeless. The only sound being the constant beeping of the one of hundreds of machines that he was hooked up to.

Fighting back the tears as she did every time she walked up to him and sat down in the chair next to his bed, her eyes studying him. He looked exactly the same. Bruises covering his handsome face and tanned arms. Bandages hiding cuts. He lay on the bed without a shirt. Only thick patches of bandages covering him. She had said so much to him already there was nothing else that she could possibly begin to say. There was nothing left to say as she groped for his hand as her eyes stared holes into his closed ones, waiting for them to open to greet her and make these nightmares end.

The sickening feeling in her stomach growing stronger as she watched his chest rise and fall, and yet it wasn't the same. It seemed weak and faint than his normal strong chest rising and falling. She wiped at the tear that threatened to escape. Taking short breaths, she offered him a sad smile. "Don't leave me Greg." The small sentence was a whisper and she laid her head on his bed giving into the temptation of the overwhelming sadness.

(This is where I would've put a song in, but since I can't here, you'll have to check out the complete version over at my live journal.)

She didn't know when it was, when she felt the pressure on her hand. Or the rough fingers gliding across her cheek. Slowly she blinked and lifted her head up. Greg was giving her a goofy smile his eyes half open.

"Hey there beautiful." He whispered. There was no way to describe how she was feeling at the moment. She began to cry and cling to him as he gently patted and rubbed her back. Despite his light and weak touches, his grip on her seemed firm and strong. "Why are you crying?" He asked her.

She pulled away, "I'm just happy." She replied tears shinning in her eyes, "I didn't think you were going to make it."

Greg looked down at his bandaged chest, "To be honest, I didn't either." He looked up at her, "I couldn't leave though. I promised you I would stay. I will."

Sara only wiped her eyes, "How long have you been awake?"

"Just under an hour." He informed her, "I was letting you sleep, figuring you'd need it more than me. I heard some nurses talking, is it really Thursday? Have I slept for six days?"

Sara nodded grimly, "No one knew what the outcome would be. The doctors said you lost a lot of blood and you were lucky to be alive. Greg, I hate to ask, but did you see the person who did this to you?"

He shook his head, "No, it was dark, I remember seeing a shadow then all of the sudden nothing but fists, and a knife, and then the bright light as a gun went off. I thought I was going to die there Sara." He had tears in his eyes and his voice was shaking, "You want to know the worst part?"

She gave his hand a squeeze, "The worst part wasn't that I knew I might die, but that I would never get to see you and never get to say goodbye."

Her heart gave a painful shudder as they both shared their tears. "Greg, never leave me."

"I always keep my promises." His embrace comforting as they lied together and fell into a slumber. That is how the nurse found them. That is how the CSI team found them.

The next day they found the man that shot Greg, he was convicted. Two days later Greg was released from the hospital making a quick recovery. The next week he returned to work. The next month Sara and Greg began dating. The next year they were married. Now, six months after marriage, they are expecting. He never left her, he kept his promise,and they will be together forever.


End file.
